Chapter 194: Wu Qing! She's Huge!
The content of the imperial edict was something Chu Yang could guess without even reading it. It was nothing more than a pretext to summon him to the palace under the guise of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival—so-called "reunion and moon appreciation."
Cao Zhengchun, with a guilty conscience, dared not linger. After handing over the edict, he hurried off.
Chu Yang didn't even glance at it and simply tossed it into a corner of the wall, then swaggered out onto the street.
The capital was filled with unfamiliar faces, most of whom had come to watch the duel. To maintain order, the number of city patrol soldiers had increased, and patrol frequency had also doubled.
There were many who wanted to see the duel, but it was impossible to allow them all into the imperial palace. The vast majority would have to watch from outside the palace walls.
The Daoists possessed a technique called "Mirror of Flowers, Water of the Moon," which could summon a screen of water and project images onto it from a designated location.
Those outside the palace could use this method to watch the duel.
It was essentially an ancient form of live broadcast.
The martial artists who could personally enter the Forbidden City were mostly sect leaders. The Emperor planned to use this opportunity to strengthen ties with them.
It wouldn't be fair to say he'd done nothing throughout his reign—at the very least, the court's relations with major sects were relatively cordial.
Chu Yang headed to a restaurant he used to frequent. With the capital now overcrowded, the place was already packed early in the morning. Fortunately, the staff recognized him as a "distinguished guest" and immediately vacated one of their finest private rooms for him.
All those years of throwing money around had finally paid off in some way.
Seated in the private room and waiting for the food and wine to arrive, Chu Yang silently contemplated the cards that Ye Gucheng and the Pingnan Prince's Manor might be hiding.
Both parties had highly unusual backgrounds, and they likely knew far more than Li Xunhuan.
At that thought, Chu Yang chuckled to himself and muttered, "When it comes down to it, I probably know more than either of them. All these years of being the Virtuous Prince really were for nothing..."
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, the dishes began arriving one after another. Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the window. Chu Yang turned his head and saw people from the Divine Constable Bureau.
Among the "Two Marquises and One House, Two Bureaus and One Guard," only the Dragon-Guard Manor had no standard uniform. The other five had distinct attire, making it easy to identify who belonged where.
Members of the Divine Constable Bureau typically wore black robes while on duty, earning them the nickname "Black-Robed Troops."
If they were here, that meant either demons or monsters were nearby.
Ever since the Divine Constable Bureau was established, such foul creatures had rarely appeared in the capital. That alone spoke volumes about how many sinister forces had been drawn in by this duel.
The bureau's constables gathered around a woman seated in a wheelchair, like stars encircling the moon.
She wore a veil and had eyes like cold ice. Her face was obscured, and thus her age was unclear. Still, her skin was like polished jade, smooth and delicate—she couldn't be very old.
As for her figure...
Chu Yang's eyes fell between her waist and hips. The mesmerizing curves there made him nod in appreciation.
Men, after all.
First, they look at the face. Second, the chest. Third, either the butt or the legs. There's really not much difference.
As a regular patron of music houses and courtesan establishments, Chu Yang could easily picture the perfection of the body hidden beneath those robes. Of course, that was all in his imagination—he knew this woman wasn't someone to be trifled with.
A woman, disabled and in a wheelchair, yet commanding the obedience of so many constables from the Divine Constable Bureau—who else could she be but "Wu Qing" Sheng Yayu, one of the Four Great Constables?
"She really is a woman?"
"Interesting…"
Li Gexiao had once mentioned that both the Four Great Constables and the Four Divine Constables consisted of three men and one woman. Chu Yang had taken note, and thus felt a bit curious about Sheng Yayu.
Disabled, and a woman at that—what exceptional qualities did she possess to earn her place as the foremost of the Four Great Constables?
As Chu Yang pondered, the constables on the street began to move. They swiftly positioned themselves at both ends of the street and on the rooftops of surrounding buildings, sealing off the entire area.
Unlike the Six Gates' constables, who operated lightly and discreetly, the Divine Constable Bureau's personnel were more like a special operations unit.
Their uniforms were made from special materials capable of resisting attacks from demonic creatures. Each of them was equipped with compact crossbows.
These crossbows shared the same origin as the anti-demon heavy crossbows used by the Qi family army. Though smaller, they were no less deadly.
Their bolts were specially crafted, incorporating materials from extraterrestrial meteorites.
The Bureau also had many demon-hunting tools hidden under their voluminous black robes, most of which were inventions by Lord Zhuge, the Divine Marquis himself.
He was, after all, an exceptionally skilled formation master.
Once the street was locked down, the locals, though somewhat panicked, obediently cooperated with the inspections.
Body searches and interrogations were unavoidable.
The visiting martial artists from afar were clearly unused to this treatment. Their faces displayed strong resistance.
Out in the world, they were all respected figures. Here, being frisked like criminals was a hard pill to swallow.
Especially when the constables reached out to search them—the tension was palpable.
Some quietly gripped their weapons.
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.
"Anyone who moves—will be killed without mercy!"
A cold female voice rang out, followed by the thwack of a crossbow bolt slamming into the stone-paved road, blasting open a small crater.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of weapons being drawn echoed across the street, a cold gleam flashing everywhere.
The previously simmering hostility in the crowd instantly vanished.
Chu Yang chuckled at the scene. These so-called "righteous heroes" were all quite adaptable—they just needed to see whose fists were bigger. Their sense of honor was incredibly flexible.
The restaurant was also under inspection. Soon enough, constables had searched their way up from the first floor.
Thump, thump, thump!
Heavy, aggressive footsteps echoed, punctuated by the sound of objects being smashed, mixed with guests' frightened cries and the innkeeper's pleading.
It was a noisy mess.
The Divine Constable Bureau was notorious for its disregard for others. With the Divine Marquis backing them, they didn't worry about using heavy-handed methods. Letting a demon slip through would have far graver consequences.
The footsteps neared Chu Yang's private room—until—
Bang!
The door was violently kicked open.
"Step out and submit to inspection!"
A tall black-robed constable entered, his gaze quickly locking onto Chu Yang.
"Go check somewhere else. There's nothing here worth inspecting."
Chu Yang sat by the window sipping wine, his eyes never leaving Sheng Yayu. He was curious how many hidden weapons that wheelchair held. With some modifications, wouldn't it be a mobile armory?
Hearing Chu Yang's dismissive reply, the constable was momentarily stunned. Since putting on the black robe, he had never been treated like this. Most people trembled at the mere sight of it, let alone dared speak rudely.
"You've got guts, boy!"
A flash of cold steel!
The black-robed constable attacked directly.
Chu Yang merely glanced at him.
A breath later—
The constable flew out of the private room, landing unconscious at Sheng Yayu's feet, eyes rolled back.
Sheng Yayu looked up.
Her gaze met Chu Yang's.
There weren't many in the capital who didn't recognize Chu Yang. That black-robed constable had been one, but Sheng Yayu certainly wasn't.
"The Virtuous Prince?"
That icy voice sounded again. Perhaps due to surprise, there was a hint of warmth in it.
As one of the few strategic minds under the Divine Marquis, Sheng Yayu had access to a vast amount of internal intelligence. Among them, the Virtuous Prince's file had been the most intriguing.
Zhuge himself had written a note on it.
Just four characters:
A hidden dragon in the depths.
As a pillar of the Ming Dynasty and tutor to the young crown prince, the late emperor had approached Lord Zhuge more than once to discuss the successor.
Zhuge could only evade the topic.
Given the brutal succession struggles of both the Zhu and Li clans, the rule of primogeniture had become an ironclad law to prevent bloodshed. It should've been a settled matter.
But the Virtuous Prince's brilliance as a child had caused the late emperor to waver, creating a dilemma. Later, for reasons unknown, the prince began acting wildly out of character, prompting the emperor to abandon the idea.
Lord Zhuge might've been the only one who knew what the late emperor was thinking—and the only witness to the prince's "fall." That's likely why he left that note in the dossier.
Those four words had left a deep impression on Sheng Yayu, and seeing Chu Yang now immediately brought that memory back.
Could a man described by Zhuge as "a hidden dragon in the depths" really be the useless wastrel that everyone claimed?
Sheng Yayu glanced at the unconscious constable at her feet, and perhaps found her answer.
"Someone, carry him away."
A few black-robed constables immediately lifted their fallen comrade and left, sparing him the humiliation of becoming the subject of gossip among the common folk.
At that moment, Sheng Yayu's wheelchair rose into the air before everyone's eyes and, amid startled gasps, glided into Chu Yang's private room.
"Your Highness certainly knows how to enjoy himself—drinking so early in the morning."
She glanced at the wine and dishes on the table.
"Apologies for disturbing Chief Constable Wu Qing's work. A toast from me, if you'd accept."
Chu Yang raised his cup and downed it in one gulp.
"Even the weakest of the Divine Constable Bureau's agents is a martial expert who has undergone five rounds of blood transformation. Yet His Highness just flung one out like it was nothing. Truly impressive..."
Sheng Yayu's gaze swept over Chu Yang. Though it had only been a few days, he now exuded a majestic, commanding presence that made her inwardly uneasy.
"I didn't mean to make a move. That constable drew his blade first without provocation. You know the law—assaulting a royal prince is a capital offense. I merely knocked him out—he should count himself lucky."
Chu Yang set down the wine cup, his tone cooling.
Sheng Yayu paused briefly, then said, "Many thanks for your mercy, Your Highness."
Chu Yang waved it off. "The Divine Constable Bureau is charged with exterminating all demonic threats. Thanks to your protection, the people can live in peace. A minor mistake like this doesn't warrant execution."
"But speaking of which, don't you think your bureau's methods could use some adjusting? Drawing blades at the slightest provocation—how long can that go on?"
At this, Sheng Yayu felt extremely conflicted. Not because Chu Yang was lecturing her, but because he sounded so… normal. So normal it didn't resemble the "Virtuous Prince" of the past at all. It left her feeling unsettled.
"Chief Constable, why are you staring at me like that?"
"If I've said something wrong, feel free to correct me..."
Chu Yang gave her a puzzled look.
Sheng Yayu snapped to attention. Realizing her rudeness, she quickly bowed. "Forgive me, Your Highness. Wu Qing dares not presume."
"What I just said—keep it in mind. Your bureau's duties are extraordinary. Even the Embroidered Guards can hardly supervise you. That makes it all the more important to remain vigilant. Arrogance must be curbed."
"To face demons and monsters is to walk a razor's edge. One misstep, and you fall into the abyss. I imagine there's been no shortage of Bureau members falling to corruption lately, am I wrong?"
Hearing this, Sheng Yayu's expression suddenly turned grim—because he was absolutely right. In recent years, many Bureau agents had been seduced and corrupted by demonic forces.
These traitors were classified as extremely dangerous and were always hunted down personally by the Four Great Constables—and sometimes even by Lord Zhuge himself.
The Bureau's special anti-demon gear was vital to the empire. If compromised, it could spell disaster for the entire nation.
"Your Highness's words… the Bureau accepts them with humility."
Seated in her wheelchair, Sheng Yayu leaned forward slightly. The motion caused her collar to shift, inadvertently revealing a breathtaking view of her fair skin—so dazzlingly white it was hard to look directly at.
It was as grand as the Himalayas!
"Many thanks, Chief Constable."
"Hm?"
Sheng Yayu looked utterly confused.
Chu Yang quickly corrected himself, "I mean, there's no need to be so formal, Chief Constable. We all wish for a better world for the people—such words from the heart are hardly worth mentioning."
"The Prince seems to have changed quite a bit from just one trip," Sheng Yayu said with a soft chuckle. "If that's the case, then I won't disturb Your Highness's elegant mood any further."
With that, she prepared to fly out through the shattered window.
But before she left, she asked, "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival—where does Your Highness plan to enjoy the moon?"
Chu Yang looked at her in surprise, then replied with a smile, "His Majesty invited me into the palace to admire the moon."
Sheng Yayu let out a light sigh. "If possible, I hope Your Highness can decline the invitation."
Chu Yang gave no reply, only watching her silently.
Sheng Yayu clearly didn't know about the Emperor's plans. What she said came purely from instinct. After compiling a great deal of intelligence, she had begun to detect something ominous.
Whether Chu Yang could understand her warning or not, Sheng Yayu felt she had done all she could. She then leapt back into the street outside.
In the brief moment since she left, the demon hiding among the crowd had already been located and executed on the spot by other black-robed constables. The scene was so bloody that the common folk had long since fled the area.
After the demon was slain, the Divine Constable Bureau lifted the street blockade—but by then, not a soul remained in sight.
Sheng Yayu slowly rolled away in her wheelchair. As she turned a corner, her snow-white face suddenly flushed bright red. Even the tips of her ears and her neck turned a rosy pink.
"Truly a dog can't stop eating… Ugh, a leopard can't change its spots! What a shameless scoundrel!"
"He actually had the nerve to thank me!"
"I'm so mad I could explode!"
The Chief Constable erupted in sudden fury, her pale hand pounding furiously on the armrest. The nearby black-robed constables didn't dare approach her, afraid that her wheelchair might suddenly shoot out all manner of hidden weapons.
Though everyone knew Wu Qing's hidden weapons were never coated with poison, getting struck in a vital spot would still mean certain death.
Meanwhile, back on the other side, Chu Yang was still marveling at that brief and stunning glimpse.
"No wonder she's the leader of the Four Great Constables—calling her 'Chief Constable' is more than justified."
"She's truly chief indeed."